6.22.2013

Just a little juicy piece of beauty info today....There is an app now for perfect skin. Really!! Too bad it doesn't make your skin perfect in real life, but at least it will in pictures! My sister shared this top secret info with me and it would be mean of me not to pass it on. The app is called Perfect 365. We can all have perfect skin in every photograph now without makeup! Okay so it is somewhat deceitful I guess but who cares. Every photo should pass through this app before making it to instagram. wink wink :)

I have a full face of makeup on in these pics, but even makeup can't achieve the flawless airbrushed look the app gives you! It did get rid of my mole though :(. I like my mole! It makes more of a difference if you apply it to a picture where you don't have makeup on. I didn't want to scare anyone away though! There are different makeup looks you can apply to your photo- the one that just improves your skin is called "natural" seen below.

3.29.2013

My search for the perfect powder foundation for my oily skin is never ending! No matter what I use my skin is an oil slick by the afternoon, and I usually do my first blot within two hours of application. This doesn't bother me so much but the makeup tends to separate on my face throughout the day and look really cakey. Primer does not fix this problem. Also I have to powder it to keep the shine away and that just adds to the cakiness! I am lucky enough to not suffer from pimples, but I have a lot of redness that I need to cover so I still need to wear foundation.

After a long break from trying new products, I went on the hunt again because I got to the bottom of my bare minerals. I looked on the Nordstrom website for the powder foundation with the highest customer ratings that I hadn't already tried. I chose to splurge for the Chantecaille compact makeup because many reviewers had skin like mine and said it controlled oil pretty well.

Well I wore it for the first time today and I love it! It does not provide a lot of coverage so I would recommend using it over something else if you need that. However, it is somewhat buildable and I didn't put it on too thick because I just wanted even skin tone. I am not wearing anything under it in the pictures FYI, just moisturizer. I went a full three hours without blotting, and even then it looked light a slight dewy glow rather than oil slick. It also stayed intact when the oil came to the surface and it did not separate on my face! The powder is very finely milled and it melts into your skin and hardly feels like makeup. And the color matches my skin perfectly! The color I am wearing is Bamboo.

The pic above in in direct sunlight, the harshest lighting. It looks pretty good!

The pic above is in natural sunlight in my bathroom three hours after application. My skin is hardly oily yet, just a soft glow! This was before any blotting or powdering touch ups... I usually would have done two by now with other makuep! It just looks like my skin but better.

3.20.2013

Today is The Spring Equinox aka the first day of spring, as well as International Day of Happiness! I love the changing of the seasons because there is always an energy shift in the air that you can feel. It's a good time to start new ventures and clear out anything bogging you down in life. I also love all the flowers blooming when I go hiking!

It is appropriate that my first Birchbox came in the mail yesterday and I get to open it now!

3.07.2013

I don't know why I haven't discovered Chanel Coco Mademoiselle perfume until now. It's so good. Like a warm, floral and delicious hug that lasts all day. Like walking around in a hug. Ok you get it. I've been obsessed with gathering multiple perfumes because I wanted a chic perfume tray like I envision my French alter ego Natalia would have. And I wanted it to be full! Or else why have a tray? I've sampled many perfumes in my haste to fill the tray, and it has inspired me to create my personal top ten women's perfumes list to share with you. FYI, these are all classy perfumes, not your girly vanilla variety. I have a special place in my heart for those too, but they do not belong on Natalia's womanly perfume tray. If you want to smell like the most gorgeous, classy, sexy and well-dressed woman, wear these...

Top Ten Women's Fragrances*These are not in order. I adore them all equally*

2.27.2013

I've been cheating on Miranda and stalking Lily Aldridge photos recently. I think it's because I bought Miranda's book and have been reading it nightly- and me and her are like an old married couple now. I needed to spice things up. Here is my fashion/beauty mistress Lily in these amazing shots by Terry Richardson!